You know, I really feel kids today are so unfortunate for missing out on the Spice Girls scene.
Not too long ago I was out and about at a certain dinner event with friends. The majority of the crowd ranged from 15-19 years olds, and then there was the small group of us that were over age 24. A whole lot of songs from today’s mainstream were performed which all the young girls were loving. As the show was finishing up, the last song played was Spice Girls’ number one hit. I’ve never seen such a quiet crowd; Wannabe always gets the crowd going no matter where you are, but not here. The young girls were not amused, or maybe they just had no idea what song this was and it made me feel old and sad. (I imagine older generations feel the same way about their beloved songs.)
I honestly feel so sad for young girls today having to look up to certain celebrities of today. The Spice Girls were EVERYTHING when I was young. Their songs, attitude, style – it was EVERYTHING.
Here are some aspects from the Spice Girls reign that stand out.
They encouraged girl power like no one else. Like it was their job. It was actually kinda their job because they made it their job. No one encouraged girl power like they did. It was such a good time for girls supporting other girls. And who else would you listen to than your idols, your family? Pshh. The band spread positive messages with such a fun and cool spirit which doesn’t exist in girls’ “idols” today. The messages shared in songs today are so far off from what should be shared. Growing up hearing talks of “girl power” was encouraging, and it was sad to see it die down after the Spice Girls called it quits.
With their “girl power” attitude, the Spice Girls really encourage you to wear whatever the hell you wanted. I mean, look at their style. They practiced what they preached – they wore whatever the hell they wanted. Their style was just cheesily great. They wore jogging pants, crop tops, union jack dresses, animal print, babydoll dresses, and those platform sneakers that I just can’t get over. I love their platform sneakers. Such an array of different styles and statements. They each had their own look that was relatable to anyone and easy to imitate. The Spice Girls were the epitome of 90’s fashion.
I remember collecting everything I could get my hands on. Magazines, dolls, keychains, posters, collector’s cards, and those oh so delicious lollipops. They were the best tasting lollipops I’ve ever had. I really miss them. Just think about it though – they had lollipops! They sold so much variety of products and merchandise. Things you didn’t need, things you didn’t know you needed, things that were edible, things you could wear, etc. I had a legit collection, and I know I’m not the only one. It’s insane to think about how if the Spice Girls brand was attached to something, BAM it’s sold.
Buzzfeed posted an article of some merchandise you wish you still had.
If I had access, I would so post photos of some Spice Girls inspired looks from themed birthday parties I attended in elementary school. I remember this specific party where I asked to have me made up as Scary Spice (I’ll share that photo as soon as I dig it up). I can’t imagine how many Spice Girls parties were held during the 90’s.
Aside from that, I used to form Spice Girls clubs with “friends”. We all picked a Spice Girl that we wanted to be. I always picked Sporty – she was my favorite and my style matched hers best even though I wasn’t into any sort of sports in any kind of way. Or active. I wasn’t very active. Didn’t make sense that I was Sporty Spice, but I digress. I remember drawing pictures for these clubs. I don’t remember what we did or talked about, but it was a thing. Everyone wanted to be in a exclusive club consisting of five people. Everyone wanted the chance to be their favorite Spice Girl.
For the youth, I think the Spice Girls were one of the most influential of girl groups. The 90’s brought a different meaning to girl groups which was different from bands such as the Ronettes and the Motown scene. The 90’s was filled with SO MANY groups but none had the impact our beloved Girls had. When Y2K rolled around, music changed and everyone either played instruments or went solo. The boy/girl band scene died, and were no longer taken seriously. Remember that one show that featured the fake boy band 2gether. Do you also remember Dujour and how much it made you thought of boy bands as a joke?
That was the image that was presented when it was no longer cool to sing and dance. Just think of the Josie & The Pussycats movie. Dujour was a JOKE.
Either way, Spice Girls were LIFE and what they were all that mattered.
They left behind a trail of memorable music, memorable fashion, and a memorable hilarious movie.
They were an inspiration, and it’s unfortunate that the newer generation missed out on a band with such an impact to look up to.
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